The purpose of this study was to examine the effectiveness of the current requirements of teacher evaluation at Saudi Arabian universities and to develop a teacher evaluation program that would fit the current need and support Saudi social and religious values. The site of the study was Ring Abdulaziz University (R.A.U.) in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. Population of the study included a random sample of senior students and faculty from the Women's Section of the university. Of 350 surveyed students, 224 responded, and 55 out of 150 surveyed faculty responded. The Dean and the Vice Deans of the Colleges of Science, Medicine, Arts and Literature, and Economics and Administration in the Women's Section were interviewed. The study involved two phases. The first phase was the assessment, for which interviews and surveys were employed. Interviews of top administrators at R.A.U.'s Women's section had two aims: to get top administrators' views of the current requirements of teacher evaluation at K.A.U., and to define the need for employing a formal system of teacher evaluation. The faculty survey sought faculty members' views on the methods of instructor evaluation currently employed and their preferences regarding a wide range of instructional evaluation techniques. The student survey sought to ascertain students' wishes to improve the process of learning by participating in teacher evaluation. Development of a proposed teacher evaluation program followed an analysis of the interviews and surveys. The second phase of the study was the field review. The proposed teacher evaluation program was reviewed by a selected sample of 13 top administrators at K.A.U. in both the Men's and Women's sections and by two top administrators in both King Saud University and King Faisal University. Field reviewers were asked about program clarity and the feasibility of its employment. Findings from phase one, the assessment, indicated the need for a formal evaluation system to replace the currently employed practice of teacher evaluation. This finding led to the development of a teacher evaluation program that takes into account the felt need of students to participate in the evaluation process without fear of any kind of reprisal from faculty and the desire of faculty not to have their status within the university system compromised by such a process. Findings of phase two, the field review of the program, resulted in a revised and final version of the program. The final teacher evaluation program contains three major components: (1) campus orientation, designed to acquaint faculty and students with the program and help them to understand its purpose and adjust to its employment; (2) students' rating, which includes a questionnaire to be used by students to evaluate instruction, along with various options for administering the questionnaire; and (3) data analysis, interpretation and improvement strategies.

This research aimed at identifying the teacher competencies of teachers teaching at an international school in Saudi Arabia. The research addressing the problems and sub-problems involved a literature review that conceptualised multicultural education and international schooling. The empirical investigation included the use of a questionnaire to gather data. The questionnaire aimed at determining the ability of teachers to function effectively within a multicultural environment. The findings, which were linked to the literature review, revealed areas of strength and weakness. Based on the findings, recommendations were made for school administrators for the design of appropriate staff development programmes to inculcate in teachers the competencies necessary to perform effectively in an international multicultural environment. / Teacher Education / M. Ed. (Educational psychology)

The purpose of the study was to provide for the improvement of instruction in the secondary schools of Saudi Arabia. To fulfill this goal, the study was designed to accomplish three tasks: 1) describe the nature, scope and effectiveness of the current system of teacher evaluation; 2) determine the attitude of the Saudi educators toward the existing system; 3) develop a new system and propose it for evaluating secondary school teachers in Saudi Arabia. Literature relating to the model of evaluation, criteria used in evaluating teachers, role of personnel involved in teacher evaluation, and processes and instruments used in evaluating teachers was reviewed.Letters to some of the Saudi educational authorities were sent in order to obtain information about the present system of teacher evaluation, and to acquire any studies that have been conducted in the area of teacher evaluation. A questionnaire was sent to Saudi administrators and teachers now studying at American universities. The purpose of the questionnaire was to obtain information relating to the procedure used in evaluating secondary school teachers in Saudi Arabia, to elicit their judgments of the effectiveness of the present system, and to obtain their recommendations for developing the present system of teacher evaluation.Most of the literature that was received from Saudi Arabia indicated a negative reaction toward the present teacher evaluation system. Also the answers and comments of most of the respondents to the questionnaire statements revealed a general dissatisfaction with the present evaluation system.The proposed design was based upon the review of literature, interviews with American school personnel, suggestions from respondents to the questionnaire, participation in part of the activities of the staff development program at Ball State University, consultation with some experts in the field of teacher evaluation, review of some evaluation instruments used in evaluating teachers at different school systems in Indiana, and the review of most of the material now used for evaluating secondary school teachers in Saudi Arabia.The evaluation model described the expected role of the supervisor, the building principal, the department chairman, the peer teachers, the students, and the teacher being evaluated in teacher evaluation. Also the model defined the criteria which should be used in the teacher evaluation program.The suggested procedure for evaluation was illustrated under the listed activites:1. An introductory conference. The main purpose of this conference, which is managed by the supervisor, is to explain the general outline and the procedure evaluation process.2. Departmental meetings. The chairman of the department is in charge of running these meetings. The common technique of conducting a departmental meeting in general and the technique followed at the first departmental meeting in specific are clarified.3. Field work or the cycle of evaluation. This section is concerned with the procedure to be followed in the teacher evaluation. The procedure of evaluation includes the following activities:a) Setting goals and objectives. The teacher with the help of the department chairman writes the behavioral or instructional objectives of the course in general and of each unit in specific.b) Data collection. The data about the teacher being evaluated is collected from various sources and by different techniques such as classroom observation, teacher self-evaluation and student and peer questionnaires.c) Analysis of data. The department chairman and the teacher analyze the information collected by classroom observation and questionnaires.The purpose of the data analysis was defined. After the data analysis the department chairman writes the evaluation report.The evaluation of the department chairman and the end-of-the year evaluation were included in the model. Recommendations related to the application of the model and to the betterment of the teaching-learning process were formulated.

This research aimed at identifying the teacher competencies of teachers teaching at an international school in Saudi Arabia. The research addressing the problems and sub-problems involved a literature review that conceptualised multicultural education and international schooling. The empirical investigation included the use of a questionnaire to gather data. The questionnaire aimed at determining the ability of teachers to function effectively within a multicultural environment. The findings, which were linked to the literature review, revealed areas of strength and weakness. Based on the findings, recommendations were made for school administrators for the design of appropriate staff development programmes to inculcate in teachers the competencies necessary to perform effectively in an international multicultural environment. / Teacher Education / M. Ed. (Educational psychology)

This qualitative study explores Saudi female teachers' experience of technology use in their practice and life. The aim is to present the voices of these female teachers living in the context of Saudi Arabia, and to document how personal characteristics, society and technology come to influence one another. The field work was done in Saudi Arabia, with female teachers from three public-sector primary schools. The data generation included individual, semi-structured interviews with four Saudi female teachers - one from each of two schools and two from the third school - and focus groups sessions with five to six teachers - one session in each of the three schools. The focus group methodology used Ketso, which is a collaborative mind-mapping tool developed at the University of Manchester. The interview and focus group sessions were audio-recorded, transcribed and then analysed using broad principles of thematic analysis. The data suggests that technology use affected the teachers' classroom practices, communication with others and their professional development. The teachers were active agents in this technology use, including taking responsibility for the technology use in their schools, and improvising solutions and ways of using available resources in their practice. This active role of the teachers seemed to contribute to localised use of technology, enabled the teachers to resist some of their social positions as females and teachers, and occasionally included a determination to create new positions for themselves. Overall, technology use appeared to enhance the Saudi female teachers' sense of agency, and crucially, seemed to enhance their awareness of their lived experience. The above insights might benefit Saudi educational policy makers, other Saudi teachers as a way of sharing experiences and practices, and researchers who are interested in studying the intersection between technology and society. In addition, the study exemplifies the novel use of the Ketso collaborative mind-mapping tool as a tool for qualitative research.

Many South African educators seek employment in Saudi Arabian schools, drawn by monetary incentives and better working conditions. However, little consideration is given to differences in cultural and educational values synonymous with the two entities. This research deals with the role of conflicting values in the teaching experiences of South African educators in Saudi Arabian schools by means of a literature study and empirical investigation. Qualitative data collection was done by in-depth personal interviews and personal narratives, written and sourced via e-mail. Findings revealed that the preconceived educational values of the South African educators sometimes acted as a barrier to teaching, restricting the educators from fully optimising their educational experiences. However, positive features of the Saudi education system were highlighted. The implications indicate a need for better orientation for South African educators working or planning to work in Saudi Arabia with emphasis on societal norms, customs and values. / Educational Studies / M. Ed. (Comparative Education)

This study is an investigation of the perceived attitudinal differences between administrators and faculty toward research and teaching at three Saudi Arabian universities, King Saud University (KSU), King Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals (KFUPM), and the Islamic University (IU). The researcher also investigated the effect of several variables, such as rank, university, and academic field on administrators and faculty members' attitudes toward teaching and research. Little Attention has been given to studies that examine the differences between faculty and administrators with regard to their attitudes toward the priorities of teaching and research in Saudi Arabian institutions. Also, little research has been conducted regarding the effects of rank and academic field on faculty attitudes in Saudi Arabian institutions. The author used a mail survey and collected 518 useable responses from a total of 710 questionnaires distributed. Factor analysis, MANCOVA, MANOVA, and ANOVA were the statistical methods employed in data analysis. Five attitudes were identified as a result of factor analysis: (a) attitudes toward teaching; (b) attitudes toward research; (c) mission; (d) promotion; and (e) interest. Results indicated that there was a significant difference between faculty and administrators regarding teaching and resea4rch. Administrators showed stronger attitudes toward teaching than faculty at all three universities. There were also significant differences regarding these attitudes in terms of rank, academic field, and university. Full professors had the strongest attitude toward a research emphasis compared to assistant professors. Assistant professors had the strongest teaching orientation. In addition, faculty members in the humanities had stronger teaching orientations preferences than did those in the natural and social sciences. Regarding the universities, faculty members at IU had the strongest teaching orientation preferences, whereas faculty members at KSU had the strongest research orientation preferences.

Many South African educators seek employment in Saudi Arabian schools, drawn by monetary incentives and better working conditions. However, little consideration is given to differences in cultural and educational values synonymous with the two entities. This research deals with the role of conflicting values in the teaching experiences of South African educators in Saudi Arabian schools by means of a literature study and empirical investigation. Qualitative data collection was done by in-depth personal interviews and personal narratives, written and sourced via e-mail. Findings revealed that the preconceived educational values of the South African educators sometimes acted as a barrier to teaching, restricting the educators from fully optimising their educational experiences. However, positive features of the Saudi education system were highlighted. The implications indicate a need for better orientation for South African educators working or planning to work in Saudi Arabia with emphasis on societal norms, customs and values. / Educational Studies / M. Ed. (Comparative Education)